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One is built to be have as many as 50 onboard and the other is designed to be raced singlehanded but the two will come together next week for a special celebration.
Enda O'Coineen will look to complete the Vendee Globe. Photo: Vendee Globe.
The Spirit of New Zealand has been providing training opportunities for youth since 1986 and on Monday morning will dock in Auckland after 10 days at sea. Nearby will be the Kilcullen Team Ireland racing yacht sailed by Enda O'Coineen who will soon circumnavigate New Zealand, becoming the first Irishman to complete the feat, before unofficially completing the Vendee Globe solo round the world yacht race.
O'Coineen was competing in the Vendee Globe when he was forced to limp into Dunedin early last year after his mast snapped during a squall. The engine was also damaged, meaning he needed to rig up an improvised sail to journey the 240 nautical miles to safety.
He's determined to finish his quest to sail around the world singlehandedly and will restart from Dunedin in his attempt to finish in France.
O'Coineen will be in Auckland to greet the arrival of the Spirit of New Zealand, which has a handful of Irish youth on board, and will then be the guest at a special Irish breakfast at the Maritime Museum. Tours of his Vendee Globe yacht and Spirit of New Zealand tall ship will also be possible.
The Spirit of Adventure Trust and Atlantic Youth Trust will launch a charitable fund to provide opportunities through an adventure exchange programme - sending New Zealand youth to Ireland and Irish youth to New Zealand.
As well as being a sailor, O'Coineen is also Irish Pubs Global Federation president and a publican.
The breakfast will be held at the Maritime Museum on Monday, January 15 (6.45am-10am). Tickets are available at www.irishbreakfast.eventbrite.co.nz.
